Wheat-separator.



Patented 001. :6, 190m B. GENTLE. WHEAT SEPARATDR.

. (Application filed Jan. 30, 1900.]

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litre tarts WH EAT-I-SIEIPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 659,919, dated October16, 1900. Application filed January 30, 1900. Serial No- 3347. (N0model.)

To (ZZZ z'uhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHMOND B. GENTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yadkin College, in the county of Davidson and State of NorthCarolina, have invented a new and useful lVheat-Separator, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention relates to grain-separating machines; and it has for oneobject to provide a new and useful machine of this character constructedwith special reference to the treatment of wheat. To this end theinvention primarily contemplates a novel form of separating-machinehaving simple and reliable means for effecting a thorough cleaning ofthe wheat, while at the same time providing for separating the cockleand other seeds from the wheat and also separating the best grade of thegrain from the inferior grade. In carrying out this object the inventiontherefore provides within a single machine means for cleaning,separating, and grading the grain.

Another object of the invention is to construct the machine of a minimumnumber of working parts and also providing the same with improved meansfor adjusting the inclination of the rotary sieve according to thenature of the material being treated; and a still further object of theinventionis to combine the elements of the entire device in a novelarrangement permitting of the employment of an exceedingly-narrow casingfor the purpose of minimizing the room occupied by the separator and tofacilitate the shipment thereof.

With these and other objects in view, which will more readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the improvements are necessarily susceptibleto some modification without departing from the scope of the invention;but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view of a wheat separating machine con structed in accordancewith the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectionalview thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate cor responding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the working parts of the machine aresuitably housed within a narrow casing or framework, (designated by thenumeral 1.) This casing may be constructed in any suitable manner toprovide for properly casing the parts; but the present in ventioncontemplates associating with the casing an adjusting device for varyingthe inclination thereof with relation to a horizontal plane, accordingto the nature of the material being treated. To carry out this featureof the invention, the casing 1 is provided at one end with dependingsupporting-legs 2 and at the opposite end with a single short-legextension 2, with which is associated a single adjustablesetting-standard 3, which setting-standard constitutes one of the mainsupports for the casing. The said adjustable setting-standard 3 isprovided with pointed lower extremity 4, which prevents slipping of themachine during the opera tion thereof, and at its upper end the saidstandard is provided with an operating head or handle 5, which isdisposed above the top of the casing, so that it may be convenientlygrasped by the operator to provide for turning the standard, and therebyeffecting a consequent adjustment of'the casing 1. A preferable way tosecure the adjustment of the standard 3 is to provide the latter with athreaded portion or portions 6, adapted to engage one or more fixed nuts7, fitted to the said leg extension 2. The upper end portion of thestandard is preferably arranged to work in a guide-sleeve 8, attached toone end of the casing in vertical alinement with the fixed nut 7 andproviding means for steadying and guiding the setting-standard. Theconstruction described provides means whereby upon turning the standard3 the end of the casing carrying such standard may be raised or loweredat will to give to the casing the necessary inc1ination,the function ofwhich will be hereinafter referred to.

The machine-casing is constructed with a downwardly convergent ortapered bottom portion having formed therein the screenings-pocket 9 andthe grain-pocket 10, both of the pockets conforming to ,the convergentor tapering shape of the bottom portion of the casing, and therebyproviding for directing the material received therein toward thedischarge-spouts 11 at the lower ends or apices of the pockets. Thedownwardly convergent or contracted screenings-pocket 9 flares upwardlyfrom its point of communication with the discharge-spout 11 and extendsnearly the full length of the casing, or, in other words, issubstantially coextensive in length with the length of the rotarycylindrical sieve 12, arranged to work within the casing above the saidpocket 9. The rotary cylindrical sieve is disposed longitudinally'withinthe casing and extends from one end thereof to a point near its oppositeend to provide for effecting a thorough separation of the cookie andother seeds from the wheat before the latter is delivered to the devicefor separating therefrom other seed and trash of a larger size than thewheat. The said cylindrical sieve is constructed of suitable screenmaterial and is open at both ends to provide for receiving at one endthegrain to be treated and for discharging at the opposite end the purewheat to be cleaned, and to provide for the revoluble support of thesieve within the machine-casing the same is provided at suitable pointstherein with a plurality of interior braces 13, secured fast upon ahorizontal operating-shaft 14. The horizontal operatingshaft 14 extendslongitudinally of the casing the full length thereof and is journaled insuitable bearings at the ends of the casing, and beyond one end of thelatter the operating-shaft is extended and has fitted thereto ahand-crank 15, which is grasped by the operator to provide for impartingrotary motion to the cylindrical sieve during the use of the machine. Itwill of course be understood that the hand-crank may be substituted by abelt wheel, so that the machine may be operated by power, if desired.

The nncleaned grain to be treated is delivered into the cylindricalsieve 12, at one end of the latter, through a feed-spout 16. Thefeed-spout 16 is fitted to one end of the casing and has the lower endthereof extending inwardly within the casing below the plane of theshaft 14, so as to project into the adjacent open end of the sieve l2,and the upper end of the said feed-spout 16 is in communication with abottom discharge-opening 17, formed in the bottom of a long narrowhopper 18, at one end of the latter. The said hopper 18 is mounted ontop of the casing 1 and is provided with an inclined floor 19, ex--tending the full length thereof and declining toward the bottomdischarge-opening 17 to permit of the grain being easily worked into thefeed-spout 16. The material which passes through the rotary cylindricalsieve 12 without being separated by the meshes thereof is discharged atthe open end thereof opposite the feed-spout 16, at which point it fallsupon an inclined delivery-apron 19. This delivery-apron is secured atone end, as at 19", to one end of the casing 1 and extends transverselyof the casing beneath the open discharging end of the rotary sieve 12 toreceive all of the wheat, trash, and larger seed discharged therefrom.The transversely disposed delivery apron 19 declines from its point ofconnection with one side of the machine-casing and extends to a positionwithin the upper end portion of the vibrating or shaking fiat riddle 20,thereby providing means for delivering all of the material which passesout of the discharge end of the rotary sieve into the upper end of theriddle, thus causing the same to pass over the full length of the screenof the riddle before the trash and other foreign matter are dischargedexterior to the casing. The said vibrating or shaking flat riddle 20 isarranged transversely of the machine-casing within one end thereof belowthe said delivery-apron 19, so as to receive thereon all of the materialwhich passes out of thedischarge end of the sieve and subject the sameto the separating process. The vibrating or shaking fiat riddle 20essentially consists of a rectangular frame 21, having fitted therein aflat screen 22 of suitable mesh to provide for separating the wheat fromthe large trash and other seeds, and in order to insure the properseparation of the wheat and the discharge of the other grain and trashatone end of and exterior to the machine the said shaking riddle 20 isdisposed at an inclination obliquely to ahorizontal plane. The lowerouter end of the inclined transverselyarranged shaking riddle 20 isloosely supported by means of swinging links 23. These links arepivoted,respectively, to the sides of the riddle-frame and totheadjacent portion of the machine-casing, thereby permitting of alongitudinally-swinging movement of the riddle,which tends to work theforeign grain and trash over the lower outer end of the riddle. Theinner upper end of said riddle has connected thereto one end of asupporting -sp.ring 24, the other end of which spring is fastened, as at24, to the adjacent side of the machine-casing, thereby providing asupport for theinner end of the riddle,which permits of the longitudinalvibration thereof. The supporting-spring or reactive link 24 preferablyconsists of a strip of spring metal, usually termed a leaf-spring, andis interposed between the inner end of the riddle and theadjacent sideof the machine-casing to not only provide for the support of the innerend of the riddle, but also to assist in the reciprocation and vibrationthereof. In addition to the said spring the inner upper end of theriddle 20 has rigidly connected thereto, as at 25, the lower end of anupstanding vibrating rod 25, having an angled arm 26, carrying a curvedcontact-shoe 26*, adapted to be held in normal engagement with the camor tappets 27 by the tension of the supporting-spring 24. The tappets 27are fitted to and carried by the shaft lat, and a plurality of saidtappets or tappet projections 27 are preferably employed in the form ofa tappet-wheel, so that as the shaft let is rotated the contact-shoe 26will be struck a number of times during the revolution of the shaft andwill therefore be caused toim part a very rapid vibration to the shakingriddle 20.

The inclined transversely-arranged shaking riddle 20 is supported in aposition so as to work directly above the grain-pocket 10, which pocketis located at one end of the casing and is of materially-smaller areathan the pocket 9, which receives the cockle and other screenings fromthe rotary sieve 12. At this point it will be observed that the lowerend of the said riddle 20 projects through one side of the casing, so asto discharge the trash and other grain exterior to the casing, where itmay be received by a bucket or other suitable receptacle.

In the operation of the machine it is simply necessary to rotate theshaft 14 to provide for imparting the rotation of the cylindrical sieve12 and a vibrating motion to the shaking riddle 20. As the materialenters the sieve 12 at one end thereof the same is im mediately agitatedand subjected to a separating action, so that as the grain continues totravel toward the open discharging end of the rotary cylindrical sievethe cookie and small wheat, as well as other seeds, will pass throughthe meshes of the sieve 12 and fall into the screenings-pocket 9, fromwhich said separations may be collected through the discharge-spout 11.The unseparated wheat and other grain which pass out of the dischargingend of the rotary sieve 12 are directed by the apron 19 upon thevibrating riddle 20 and are subjected to a separating action, whichcauses the pure wheat to separate itself from the other grain and trashand work through the meshes of the riddle-screen into the grain-pocket10, from which pocket the pure wheat may be collected through thedischarge-spout 11. As already explained, the foreign seeds, togetherwith any other trash, are discharged from the outer lower end of theriddle 2O exterior to the machine casing.

In operating the machine it is of course necessary to give a sufficientinclination to the rotary sieve 12 to provide for the travel of thematerial from one end thereof to the other, and this inclination may besecured through the medium of the adjustable setting standard 3,previously described.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described separating-ma chine will bereadily understood by those fa miliar with the art without furtherdescription, and it will be understood that various changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthis invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a supportingframe and a rotary screen mounted ona revolving shaft, of a cam on said shaft, a riddle receiving theovertail from the rotary screen, means for movably supporting one end ofsaid riddle, a bent arm rigidly connected to the other end of the riddleand formed with a contact-shoe in operative proximity to the cam, and areactive spring-link rigidly secured to the riddle by means which serveto secure the bent arm, said springlink being secured at its upper endto the frame.

2. The combination with a narrow casing, of a screenings-pocket and asmaller grainpocket located within the casing, a longitudinally-disposedrotary screen extending over the screenin gs-pocket,atransversely-disposed riddle located beyond and under one end of therotary screen and over the grain-pocket, a narrow hopper located abovethe casing and extending nearly its entire length, a feedspout locatedbeyond one end of the casing and having its upper end in communicationwith the hopper and its lower end extending into the end of the rotaryscreen, a reactive spring rigidly connected at its opposite ends to thetransverse riddle and to the casing, means for rotating the shaft of therotary screen, and means carried by said shaft for urging the transverseriddle intermittently against the resistance of its reactivesupporting-spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHMOND B. GENTLE.

WVitnesses:

O. A. PIOKENS, SAM T. RAPER.

